Re: Nawab Akbar Bugti Killed (Merged)
Nothing wrong with the Daily Times, much better than the govt mouthpiece APP…but since u asked, from Jang
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=21655
The death of Nawab Akbar Bugti during a military operation in the hills near Kohlu late on Saturday is tragic and could well be a defining moment in Pakistan’s chequered history. Viewed by his supporters as a defender of Baloch rights and by his detractors as a Sardar bent on blocking the progress of his people and perpetrating acts of sabotage, Akbar Bugti’s legacy will remain hotly disputed. Whatever the verdict of history, however, the killing is the logical and unfortunate outcome of the recent approach to tackling the whole Balochistan issue and once again underlines the need for a political dialogue and non-military solution to end the crisis in that province. Of course, it is difficult for a government to sit back and watch as its officials, assets and vital installations are attacked, but what happened on Saturday is likely to inflame anti-government sentiment in Balochistan. Unfortunately, Mr Bugti’s death could well be a watershed in the troubled relationship between Balochistan and the Centre. The government hopes that it will mark the beginning of the end of the strife in the troubled province. On the other hand, it may well reinforce the sharp mistrust of Islamabad, Punjab and the military among a section of the Baloch population. The repercussions of his death will cast a long shadow over Baloch-Centre relations for the foreseeable future. The interior minister has said that it all began when government helicopters were fired upon from a cave in the area and that this forced a response from security forces. Another minister said on Sunday that Bugti died when the roof of the cave he was hiding in collapsed under heavy relatiatory fire by security forces. There remain a number of other conflicting reports on the circumstances of his death that only an independent investigation will help clear.
Many Baloch will see Bugti’s death as nothing more than history repeating itself and they will come to believe that the federal government will never give them the even-handed treatment that they deserve. There will be many Baloch who perhaps were not even born the last time the province had to endure a military operation. Despite that, however, and because the grievances over the years have only exacerbated because successive governments failed to address them, many among the younger generation share the view held by their elders that the Centre refuses to pay the province its due share of royalties for using its mineral wealth and natural gas, and that it (the centre) tends to favour the largest province in funds allocation, employment generation, development projects and socio-economic polices in general. Of course, many will now wonder whether the end would have been as violent and grim if those hiding in the cave were from another province. It is for the government to ensure that this is not so.